The abuse recently committed at the İzmir Juvenile and Children Detention and Correctional Facility has shown us once again that the state is unable to protect children who are forced to commit crimes and who must be protected, rehabilitated and returned to society by the state itself. We deeply regret seeing that disadvantaged children put behind bars have been driven into harsher conditions, let alone providing them with education and helping them return to society as dignified and productive individuals.

This incident occurred at the Şakran Facility, coupled with the incidents previously occurred in Pozantı that caused pangs of conscience among the public at the time, shows us that the state has failed and is still failing to take the measures and fulfill its obligations enumerated under the Constitution, the Law on Protection of Children and UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The children living in closed prisons together with criminal adults and left to their own devices are ours. These children whom we must help to become positively engaged members of society and look into the future with hope are facing violence and abuse in closed prisons and feeling and, worst of all, adopting the harsh burden of crimes and of being a criminal as they are socio-emotional human beings. And all these factors are causing us to lose these children of ours.

All the children locked in prisons must be urgently moved to correctional facilities and be provided with psychological support. Additionally, measures must be taken to build correctional facilities and open prisons instead of closed prisons or detention facilities in an effort to improve the circumstances of these children and also help them become positively engaged members of society. We expect and demand that all legal and organizational measures be taken to prevent the ongoing abuses across our country.

Owing an apology to these children, we condemn the subject child abuses. At the Platform for Protecting Children and Their Rights, we are ready to provide any support that any innocent child living with their mothers in prisons might need.